The World Bank Launches a New Digital Collection: The Complete World Development Report Online
November 18, 2010-- A new online collection of all World Development Reports since 1978 was launched today by the World Bank.
The Complete World Development Report Online, which allows users to easily access and search across these World Bank annual flagship publications, is free and open to the public and may be accessed at http://wdronline.worldbank.org.
For over thirty years, the annual WDR has provided a window on development economics to a broad international readership. The report has served as one of the principal vehicles for encapsulating the World Bank’s knowledge of and policy recommendations on key global development trends. From agriculture and the environment to economic growth and international trade, the WDR has tracked theoretical and empirical findings as well as policies in the field of international development.
Economy: Growth picking up steam but recovery uneven, says OECD Economic Outlook
November 18, 2010--Economic activity in OECD countries will gradually pick up steam over the coming two years, but the recovery will be uneven and unemployment will remain persistently high, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook.
With the functioning of the financial sector returning to normal and households and business in a position to renew spending and investment, the main challenge facing governments today is moving from a policy-driven recovery toward self-sustained growth.
“As stimulus is withdrawn, governments will have to provide a credible medium-term framework, to stabilise expectations and strengthen confidence, particularly for the private sector,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said. “Enhanced confidence could result in a faster-than-projected recovery"
Ernest & Young Report-Cash-in-the-barrell: Benchmarking and analysis of working capital management in the oil and gas industry
November 18, 2010--Benchmarking and analysis of working capital management in the oil and gas industry.
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US Tsy's Wolin: Committed To Implement Basel III 'On Time'
November 17, 2010--The U.S. is committed to applying Basel III standards "on time" and implementing tougher capital requirements on banks' trading books, all while it continues implementation of Basel II, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin said Wednesday.
In prepared remarks to the London Stock Exchange, Wolin also welcomed the Financial Stability Board's work "to strengthen the intensity of supervision of the systemically important financial institutions" and the European Commission's proposals on central clearing of derivatives.
"We commend the European Commission's proposals on central clearing," Wolin said, stressing that derivatives should "reduce risk, not magnify it."
Derivatives regulation is one of the areas where global convergence is essential, he said.
China and Europe rattle markets
November 16, 2010--Rising inflation in China and deepening financial turmoil in Europe rattled global markets, triggering widespread falls in both stocks and commodities on investor concerns of slower economic growth.
Major stock markets from Asia, Europe to the US were sharply lower on Tuesday, while European government bond yields ...
Bloomberg to launch water data and analysis service
Media giant adds to ESG service offering
November 16, 2010--Global media and data giant Bloomberg says it plans to launch a service focusing on water in early in 2011. "We ourselves will be launching a water service in the New Year,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Speaking at the presentation of the Carbon Disclosure Project’s new Water Disclosure project’s inaugural results in London, Liebreich cited the “very poor information” currently available on water usage. “Water is the next big challenge,” he said.
IMF Working paper -Do Credit Shocks Matter? A Global Perspective
November 16, 2010--Summary: This paper examines the importance of credit market shocks in driving global business cycles over the period 1988:1-2009:4. We first estimate common components in various macroeconomic and financial variables of the G-7 countries.
We then evaluate the role played by credit market shocks using a series of VAR models. Our findings suggest that these shocks have been influential in driving global activity during the latest global recession. Credit shocks originating in the United States also have a significant impact on the evolution of world growth during global recessions.
view the working paper-Do Credit Shocks Matter? A Global Perspective
IOSCO Publishes Final Report on Private Equity Conflicts of Interest
November 16, 2010--Executive Summary
In May 2008, IOSCO published a report identifying potential risks emerging from the private equity industry and outlining how IOSCO intended to address these risks. One of the key risks identified by this report was the potential for material conflicts of interest to exist among the parties involved in private equity sponsored transactions.
In light of this the report recommended that further work should be carried out to fully identify those conflicts of interest risks which are particular to private equity and to explore the extent to which these risks are subject to adequate methods of mitigation. This report provides a summary and the conclusions of the recommended follow-up work on conflicts of interest in private equity.
view the Final Report on Private Equity Conflicts of Interest
SEC and CESR Members Announce Efforts to Continue Close Cooperation as National Securities Regulators Implement New Regulatory Reform Initiatives
November 16, 2010--The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR) today convened a high-level meeting in Paris between SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro, CESR Chairman Carlos Tavares, and the chairmen of 29 CESR member regulators to discuss regulatory reform efforts in the United States and the European Union.
Securities regulators in both the U.S. and EU are currently crafting new and wide-ranging rules designed to address regulatory concerns that arose during the recent financial crisis. Today's discussions focused on a number of topics, including the regulation of over-the-counter derivatives and oversight of credit rating agencies and managers of hedge and private equity funds. The CESR and SEC chairmen also shared views regarding market structure issues, systemic risk, and issues relating to the convergence of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Basel rules spark mitigation drives
November 15, 2010--With global reforms set to force banks to hold more capital against riskier kinds of financial assets, the world’s biggest investment banks have begun to embrace a new buzzword: mitigation.
The Basel III rules endorsed by the Group of 20 leading economies last week may be squeezing banks on multiple fronts.